Mrs. Coolidge Shows Rebecca to Children

This black and white photograph by Herbert E. French of the National Photo Company was taken on April 18, 1927. In this photograph, First Lady Grace Coolidge introduces her pet raccoon Rebecca to a group of children attending the White House Easter Egg Roll. Though odd by today's standards, domesticated pets like raccoons, badgers, and squirrels were common at the time. The annual Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878 and the Rutherford B. Hayes administration.